Flexible mouth container

ABSTRACT

A container of the type having a mouth defined by superposed portions of a flexible sheet which can be opened wide and closed by flattening together and convoluting marginal ends of the superposed sheet portions includes a first fastening strip secured to an outside surface of one sheet portion and spaced from the endmost edge of the flexible sheet a length sufficient to define therebetween a marginal portion which may be folded into a plurality of convolutions and the outwardly facing surface of the first fastening strip defines a plurality of upstanding hooking elements of flexible resilient material; a second fastening strip secured to an outside surface of the other sheet portion includes two longitudinal portions the first of which is secured to the flexible sheet and the second of which has an inwardly facing surface defining a plurality of complementary hooking elements of flexible resilient material, the second fastening strip being spaced from the first fastening strip in a direction away from the endmost edge of the flexible sheet.

Waited tates Patent Rineclrer [4 Apr. 11, 1972 [54] FLEXIBLE MOUTH CONTAINER Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr. [72] Inventor. Franz G. Rinecker, Wayne, NJ. Assistant Examiner Thomas C Culp Jr. [73] Assignee: American Velcro, Inc. Attorney-Pennie, Edmonds, Morton, Taylor and Adams [22] Filed: June 15, 1970 [21 Appl. No.: 46,440 A container of the type having a mouth defined by superposed portions of a flexible sheet which can be opened wide and 52 us. Cl ..229/62, 150/3 Closed by flattening together and Com/01mins marginal ends of 5| rm. C1 ..B65d 33/16 the SuPerposed Sheet P0rtions includes a first fastening strip 58 Field of Search ..229/62; 150/3; 220/80 Secured an outside Surface W Sheet Portion and from the endmost edge of the flexible sheet a length sufficlent [56] References Cited to define therebetween a marginal portion which may be folded into a plurality of convolutlons and the outwardly fac- UNITED STATES PATENTS ing surface of the first fastening sripgilefines a plurality of upstanding hooking elements of exi e resilient material; a 3,446,420 5/1969 Rrnecker ..229/62 Second fastening strip Secured to an outside surface of the 9 l 7'l24 4/1909 Parson 229/62 X other sheet portion includes two longitudinal portions the first 2,215,989 9/1940 wolf "229/62 of which is secured to the flexible sheet and the second of 23054402 12/1942 Avery et which has an inwardly facing surface defining a plurality of 2,480,500 8/1949 Moore "229/62 complementary hooking elements of flexible resilient materi- 3307773 3/1967 etalal, the second fastening strip being spaced from the first usmt i fastening strip in a direction away from the endmost edge of Teen the flexible sheet. 3,439,866 4/1969 Kuhnle ....229/62 3,554,436 1/1971 Palmer ..229/62 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented A ril 11, 1972 v I 3,655,118

' INVENTOR. FRANZ G. RIN ECKER ATTORNEYS FLEXIBLE MOUTH CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION also reusable. For example, in the storage of foodstuffs such as bread which tends to dry out as well as in more rigorous applications, a container must be provided which may be sealed either to prevent the entry of foreign fluids or to prevent leakage of contained fluids and be readily resealable. For example, in the shipment of fluids which are to be delivered by parachute drop to military personnel it his been found that metal containers are not suitable because they are too heavy and bulky. For a lightweight container to be suitable for this purpose, it must have the capability of withstanding pressures which are encountered upon impact with the ground. Furthermore, such container must provide easy access for cleaning before reuse. A lightweight container which is able to withstand both internal and external fluid pressure, which allows ready access to its contents, and which is easily resealable would be particularly suitable for this purpose.

Substantially all of the above requirements have been fulfilled by the Flexible Mouth Container which is described and claimed in US Pat. No. 3,446,420 to Franz G. Rinecker. Although such container has a versatility and convenience of operation far superior to other previously know containers, the embodiments then contemplated which provided particular resistance to opening from internal fluid pressure where relatively complex and cumbersome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a container of the type having a mouth defined by an endmost edge of first and second superposed portions of a flexible sheet which can be opened wide and closed by flattening together and convoluting marginal ends of the superposed sheet portions. The improvement includes a first fastening strip secured to the outside surface of the first sheet portion and having an outwardly facing surface defining a plurality of upstanding hooking elements of flexible resilient material. The first fastening strip is substantially parallel to and spaced from the endmost edge of the flexible sheets a length sufficient to define therebetween a marginal portion which may be folded into a plurality of convolutions to seal the container mouth. A second fastening strip includes first and second longitudinal portions; the first longitudinal portion is secured to the outside surface of the second sheet portion but the second longitudinal portion is unsecured to the second sheet portion and has an inwardly facing surface defining a plurality of complementary hooking elements of flexible resilient material. The second fastening strip is substantially parallel to and spaced from the first fastening strip in a direction away from the endmost edge of the flexible sheets. A large number of hooking elements on the first fastening strip are engageable with a large number of complementary hooking elements on the second longitudinal portion of the second fastening strip when the marginal portion of the sheets is folded into a plurality of convolutions to seal the container mouth and the first fastening strip is folded over into face-toface engagement with the second longitudinal portion of the second fastening member. The resulting bond between the respective fastening strips resists separation but may be separated readily by a peeling force applied substantially normal to the interfacial plane of engagement.

The present invention preferably utilizes hook and loop fasteners such as those described in US. Pats. Nos. 2,717,427 and 3,009,235 which include separable members each comprising a sheet of woven fabric having raised threads of synthetic material wherein the loops of one member are cut at their outer extremities to form hooks while the loops of the other member remain uncut. It is also contemplated that a given member may comprise both hook-type hooking elements and loop-type hooking elements. When the two members of such fastener are pressed together in face-to-face relationship, there is a substantial engagement of hook threads with loop threads. A considerable effort must be applied to separate the members unless they are peeled apart. In that event, the members may be separated quite easily.

The present invention provides a container seal which is particularly effective in resisting internal fluid pressure but which may be opened and closed repeatedly in a relatively simple manner without loss in the effectiveness of the seal. The combination of effectiveness of operation, convenience, and simplicity of construction and operation is not approached in the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevation of a first outside surface of the container of the present invention in an unsealed position;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of a second outside surface of the container of the present invention in an unsealed position which illustrates the construction of the second fastening strip;

FIG. 3 is a section taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an elevation in section of the container of the present invention in a sealed position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A container 10 of the present invention comprises first and second flexible sheets 11, 12, respectively, which are sealed together along their side edges 14, 15 and at a bottom edge 16. A top endmost edge 18 of the container 10 remains unsealed and defines a container mouth which may be opened wide and closed by flattening together and convoluting marginal ends of the superposed sheet portions 11, 12 as best shown in FIG. 4. Although the improvements of the present invention have application to flexible bag-type containers, the invention resides primarily in the arrangement which permits ease of opening and sealing a container of this type. Accordingly, it is contemplated that a flexible mouth can be provided on a rigid container or on a flexible bag which is inserted into and sealed inside a rigid container.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1, a first fastening strip 20 is adhesively sealed or otherwise suitable secured to the outside surface of the first sheet portion 11. The first fastening strip 20 is disposed substantially parallel to and is spaced from the endmost edge 18 of the flexible sheets a length sufficient to define therebetween a marginal portion 21 which may be folded into a plurality of convolutions to seal the container mouth. An outwardly facing surface 22 of the first fastening member 20 defines a plurality of upstanding hooking elements 23 which are raised loop threads of synthetic material such as superpolyamide. The hooking elements 23 may be closed loops as shown in the present embodiment or they may be cut at their outer extremities to form hooks.

As best shown in FIG. 2, a second fastening strip 25 is secured to the outside surface of the second sheet portion 12. The second fastening strip 25 is disposed substantially parallel to and spaced from the first fastening strip 20 in a direction away from the endmost edge 18 of the flexible sheet. The second fastening strip 25 includes a first longitudinal portion 26 which is secured to the outside surface of the second sheet portion 12 by adhesive or other suitable means; a second longitudinal portion 27 of the second fastening strip 25 which is nearer to the endmost edge 18 than the first longitudinal portion 26 remains unsecured to the second sheet portion 12 and includes an inwardly facing surface 28 defining a plurality of upstanding complementary hooking elements 29 which also are raised loop threads of synthetic material such as superpolyamide. The complementary hooking elements 29 maybe cut at their outer extremities to form hooks as shown in the present embodiment or they may be closed loops. While hooktype hooking elements 29 have been provided on the inwardly facing surface 28 of the second longitudinal portion 27 of the second fastening strip 25 and loop-type hooking elements 23 have been provided on the outwardly facing surface 22 of the first fastening strip 20, it is intended that they may be interchanged and thus hooks provided on the surface of the first fastening strip 20 and loops provided on the surface of the second fastening strip 25. In fact, it is contemplated that a given surface could comprise both hook-type and loop-type hooking elements.

To seal the mouth of the container 10, the marginal portion of the respective sheets ll, 12 are flattened together and folded into a plurality of convolutions until the folded portion coincides with the first fastening strip 20, the outwardly facing surface 22 remaining entirely exposed. Thereafter, the first fastening strip 20 and the convoluted marginal portion 21 are folded together once to the position shown in FIG. 4. At this point, the outwardly facing surface 22 of the first fastening strip 20 is suitably disposed with respect to the inwardly facing surface 28 of the second longitudinal portion 27 of the second fastening strip 25 that the respective surfaces 22, 28 may be pressed together into face-to-face engagement, a large number of hooking elements 23 on the first fastening strip 20 engaging a large number of complementary hooking elements 29 on the second longitudinal portion 27 of the second fastening strip 25 to constitute a bond which resists separation but which may be separated readily by a peeling force applied substantially normal to the interfacial plane of engagement. The convoluted marginal portion 21 is confined so as to effect a fluid-tight seal which maintains its integrity against internal fluid pressure because the force resulting from such pressure acts substantially parallel to the interfacial plane of engagement of the fastening strips 20, 25 rather than in a normal direction.

lClaim:

1. In a container of the type having a mouth defined by an endmost edge of first and second superposed portions of a flexible sheet which can be opened wide and closed by flattening together and convoluting marginal ends of the superposed sheet portions, the improvement in combination therewith comprising a first fastening strip secured to the outside surface of the first sheet portion and having an outwardly facing surface defining a plurality of upstanding hooking elements of flexible resilient material, the first fastening strip being substantially parallel to and spaced from the endmost edge of the flexible sheets a length sufficient to define therebetween a marginal portion which may be folded into a plurality of convolutions to seal the container mouth, and a second fastening strip including first and second longitudinal portions, the first longitudinal portion of the second fastening strip being secured to the outside surface of the second sheet portion and the second longitudinal portion being unsecured to the second sheet portion and having an inwardly facing surface defining a plurality of complementary hooking elements of flexible resilient material, the second fastening strip being substantially parallel to and spaced from the first fastening strip in a direction away from the endmost edge of the flexible sheets; a large number of hooking elements on the first fastening strip being engageable with a large number of complementary hooking elements on the second longitudinal portion of the second fastening strip when the marginal portion of the sheets is folded into a plurality of convolutions to seal the container mouth and the first fastening strip is folded over into face-toface engagement with the second longitudinal portion of the second fastening member to constitute a bond which resists separation but which may be separated readily be a peeling force applied substantially normal to the interfacial plane of engagement.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein the second longitudinal portion of the second fastening strip is disposed nearer to the endmost edge of the flexible sheets than the first lotggitudinal portion. I

. A container according to claim 1 wherein the convoluted marginal portion is so confined that it is fluid tight. 

1. In a container of the type having a mouth defined by an endmost edge of first and second superposed portions of a flexible sheet which can be opened wide and closed by flattening together and convoluting marginal ends of the superposed sheet portions, the improvement in combination therewith comprising a first fastening strip secured to the outside surface of the first sheet portion and having an outwardly facing surface defining a plurality of upstanding hooking elements of flexible resilient material, the first fastening strip being substantially parallel to and spaced from the endmost edge of the flexible sheets a length sufficient to define therebetween a marginal portion which may be folded into a plurality of convolutions to seal the container mouth, and a second fastening strip including first and second longitudinal portions, the first longitudinal portion of the second fastening strip being secured to the outside surface of the second sheet portion and the second longitudinal portion being unsecured to the second sheet portion and having an inwardly facing surface defining a plurality of complementary hooking elements of flexible resilient material, the second fastening strip being substantially parallel to and spaced from the first fastening strip in a direction away from the endmost edge of the flexible sheets; a large number of hooking elements on the first fastening strip being engageable with a large number of complementary hooking elements on the second longitudinal portion of the second fastening strip when the marginal portion of the sheets is folded into a plurality of convolutions to seal the container mouth and the first fastening strip is folded over into face-to-face engagement with the second longitudinal portion of the second fastening member to constitute a bond which resists separation but which may be separated readily be a peeling force applied substantially normal to the interfacial plane of engagement.
 2. A container according to claim 1 wherein the second longitudinal portion of the second fastening strip is disposed nearer to the endmost edge of the flexible sheets than the first longitudinal portion.
 3. A container according to claim 1 wherein the convoluted marginal portion is so confined that it is fluid tight. 